Valve-operating means



1,491,077 G. N. BEERwoR'rl-l VALVE OPERATING`- MEANS April 22 1924.

Filed NOV- 27. 1922 l i 'n l ,gn/uente@ Patented Appr. 22, 1924.

N 1,491,072 PATEN orifice.

GEORGE N. `IBEER'WOIR'TH, O'F SPRINGDALE, PENNSYLVANIA.

VALVE-OPERATING Marins.Y

Application led November 27, 1922. Serial No. 603,689.

To aZZ whom it 'may concern.'

Be it knownthat I, GEORGE N. BEnRwoRTH, a citizen of Canada, residing at Springdale, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new'v and useful Improvements 1n Valve-Operating Means, of which the following isa speciication. n n p This invention relates to means for operating cut-ofi valves and has for its object the provision of a simple and inexpensive device which may be readily `connected to the stem of any cut-oill valve and be so disposed as to be out of the way when it is not to be manipulated but may be readily brought into working position. The device is in-` tended for use upon any and all fluid con-r veyers which ordinarily havey their valve stems and handles so disposed that they are in the way of workmen or other occupants of a room and are liable to cause injurious accidents.` The invention seeks to provide a device which may bedisposed below a loor or in such an overhead position that it will be labove the heads of occupants of a. room or may beso disposed that the handle member will be closeagainst a side wall out of the way. The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing and will be hereinafter fully set forth.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation showing my improved valve-operating device applied to a valve in a.k pipe or fluid `conveyer which is disposed below the floor of a room;

Fig. 2 is an elevation showing the manner of applying the invention to an overhead valve' F ig. 3 is a sectional elevation showing a, somewhat different embodiment of the invention and showing it in the position assumed when applied to a valve upon or behind a side wall, and

Fig. 4 is an eleva-tion showing another embodiment of the invention.

The pipe or conveyer 1 may be of any form and has embodied therein an ordinary cut-olf valve. indicated conventionally at 2. In the drawing, this pipe and valve are shown as located below a floor 3, and a box 4t is embodied in the door to permit access to the valve. Ordinarily, the valve is provided with a fixed stem and handle which project through. and above lthe Hoo-r and are. consequently, in the way of workmen or others who may be passing about in the room vand are liable to trip a person and cause serious injury. In carrying out my invention, I employ a telescopic operating member which includes a lower member 5 pinned or otherwise secured to the usual stem 6 of the valve 2 and an upper member fitted slidably to thelower member 5` In Fig. l, the lower member lits: within the upper memberand is provided with a lateral stud or pin 8 at or near its upper end which engages in a longitudinal slot 9 formed in the upper member. 4At the lower end of the said slot 9 are L-shaped notches l0 formed in the opposite side walls of the slot and either of which maybe engaged by the stud 8. Fixed to the upper end of the upper member 7 is a hand wheel or other form of handle 11 vwhereby the device may be manipulated. Normally, the lid or cover 12 of the box 4 will be lowered and will preferably lie Hush with the door 3, the entire valveoperating device beingy disposed below the cover, as shown in full lines in Fig. l. When adjustment of the valve is: necessary,l the cover 12 is raised so that access may be had to the valve-operating means and the hand wheel 11 is then grasped and raised to the position shown in dotted lines, the member 7 v sliding readily upon the lower member 5 and being maintained in its rectilinear path by its engagement with said member and also by the engagement of the stud 8 with the slot 9. When theupper member 7 has been raised to itsvfull limitl which will be indicated by the lower end of the slotimpinging against the stud 8, the hand wheel is turned in either direction, whereupon one of the notches 10 will be caused to engage the stud 8 and the upper member 7 of the valve-operating device will be supported in its raised position. If the rotation ofy the hand wheel be continued, the movement will be imparted to the lower member 5 of the device and by it transmitted directly to the valve stem 6 so that the valve will be opened tf valve, the member- 5 ceedingly simple device which may be applied to any valve and by which the valve may be readily adjusted but the operating devices will be normally out of the way so that they cannot be struck by passing ob- 5 described but, in the present instance, while the notches 15 are disposed at the lower end of the said outer member, they are close to the hand wheel 16 which is secured to the lower end of said member. These notches 15 and the slot 14 areengaged by the stud 17 on the member 5 Just as the stud and notches in the previously described form of the invention are engaged.

In Fig. 3, I have shown the device as consisting of an outer tubular member 18 provided with diametrically opposite longitudinal slots 19 and having a longitudinal bore 20. The inner member may be a rod 21 having its forward end resting' in the bore or socket 2O and having lateral lugs 22 near said forward end to engage slidably in the slots 19. The rear end of the member 21 is, of course, slidably engaged in the outer end or head 23 ot the outer member 18, and a 2 lhand wheel 24 is secured upon the rear end of the said rod. This form of the invention will operate in the same manner as the previously described forms and is especially adapted for operating valves which Vmay be disposed upon or behind a side wall of a room. VIt is obviously slightly less costly than the previously described forms and may be preferred when the invention is to be applied to valves carried by the side wall of a room.

at bothl ends thereof to be engaged by a pin or l stud 29 on the inner member, the hand wheel 30 beingv secured to the outer end of the outer member. Obviously, this form of the invention may be used with equal facility in connection with a. valve which is located below a floor or a valve which is overhead.

It will be readily noted that the L-shaped notches provide seats for the stud on the inner member of the extensible operating device so that, when the parts are in their inil operative position, the outer member maybe supported in` such a manner that it cannot Aturn relative to the. inner member and accidental displacement of the outer member is thereby prevented.V y Y Having thusdescribed the invention, what is claimed as new is:

A device tor voperating a rotatable cut-od valve comprising an inner member adapted to be secured to a valve stem, an outer member slidably and rotatably fitted around the inner member and constructed with a longitudinal slot and Lshaped lateral notches at one end of the slot, a. stud on the inner member playing i-n the said slot to permit longitudinal sliding movement of the outer mem ber upon the inner member and transmit rotation of the outer member to the inner member and engageable in the notches in the outer member to resist relative movement of :ui

the members, and a handle carried by the outer member.

In testimony whereoI affix my signature.

GEORGE N. BEERIORTH. [1.. sl. 

